To Light
by Risma
Summary: WARNING SLASH: Castiel has failed his charge. Now Heaven is giving him another chance to prove himself. Dean/Castiel
1. Chapter 1

I have not seen further than season 4 episode 11 of Supernatural. This is my first Supernatural fic and it's been awhile since I've written ANYTHING so the harsher the critics; the better the chapters. Read and enjoy - R.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything Supernatural (kinda wish I did though). This story is for fun, not profit.

**...To Light **

He watched her screaming and writhing on the concrete path. A quick flicker from the neighbour's house alerted him to the prying eyes and the screaming next door. It was never an easy thing for humans to behold; a hell-hound ripping out another's soul. Suddenly the woman stopped screaming and lay still. He could see the hound gnawing and salivating on the wisps of black smoke as it padded out of the yard and vanished under the road's kerb in a puff of smoke. Of course he could see the hound; the neighbour could only see the bloody, shredded corpse lit up with the golden sunrise.

He prayed for his charge's soul, that her torment would be minimal and that she would be at peace quickly. He knew it would not possible, but perhaps his Father could provide his charge with some comfort. He hovered away from the corpse as the neighbour came over with her husband to see how they could assist. They could not see him but the lady turned around to look straight at him, through him, towards the sound of sirens.

Castiel could feel the sun's rays warming his eternal light. He gave thanks to the Lord for another beautiful day and a prayer for protection of all living creatures still on earth. With a flap of is wings he returned to Heaven.

He hovered in the dazzling white abyss, this siblings hovering around and whispering to each other. He had lost another soul. How many more could they entrust to him? Why should they entrust the humans to him? He prayed that his Father would send him down again, to prove his worth and enlighten another charge with faith to save their soul. He begged that his Father would provide him with a charge whom would need to make life-changing decisions, on the brink of losing their faith - so that he could demonstrate that he was capable. A true guardian angel.

He realised his prayer was selfish and egotistical. But he hoped his honesty in wanting to save many souls would fall on understanding ears.

Through the rustling voices of his brethren, a tiny peel chimed: "Lawrence, Kansas. Wait for my signal." His prayer had been answered and Anna's order had confirmed it. With a flap of his wings, he flew back to earth.

He landed in a playground in the middle of the small town. He was always landed in parks, drawn to children's laughter and this was noisiest, happiest place in Lawrence. The squeals of laughter and the imagination of the small creatures was always a fascination to him. To be able to feel emotions and think outside of orders was not in his physiology. He watched the sky for a sign; it was a tradition of Anna's since two thousand years ago.

While he waited, he caught a glimpse of his surroundings. A young couple both with long hair and torn jeans were sitting on a bench in the shade. They were staring intensely at each other and then the young man started mauling the lady. Castiel zapped to their side to instill calmness and shame in the young man so he would stop attacking her - then Castiel stopped. The lady smiled as the young man continued to eat her face and a little giggle escaped her. Castiel hovered away and took a couple of minutes to make sure they showed no signs of demon possession. But the couple appeared to be indifferent to the carnivorous act. If he had known any better; he could have sworn that they liked it. For once he was glad that he had not been promoted to take a vessel. That kind of affection seemed unpleasant.

Backing away into the light near the playground he snatched brief looks at the couple, just to be sure, and tried to focus on the sky. There to the north, the evening star was a little brighter this early in the afternoon. That was the signal.

He found himself in front of a large white house with an old gnarled tree swaying gently in the evening breeze. A shiny black car was parked in the driveway, reflecting the stars in the darkening sky. He peered up and sure enough the evening star beamed over the house. He nodded to the heaven and wafted through the front door.

A warm light was coming from the lounge room to the left of him and he followed the sound of soft murmurings. There in a rocking chair was a tall dark man hunched over a squirming bundle in his arms. He was softly humming to tune to the little one: "... don't you cry no more..." He mumbled and kissed the youngster's head, but the baby kept sniffling and silently crying.

Castiel hovered closer above the two in the chair and looked down at the baby in the man's arms. The child stopped his tears and his two big green eyes looked directly at Castiel, unblinking, staring. The man looked behind him to see what had captured his son's attention but could not see the angel and looked at the wall confused. "What are you looking at, Dean?"

But the baby kept staring directly at Castiel and the angel could feel his eternal light glow a little brighter. His new charge; his brand new charge. He gave thanks to his understanding Father. He could start again, from the beginning and save this little one's soul.


	2. Chapter 2

I am currently watching season 4 episode of Supernatural. Dean meets Castiel for the first time. Read and enjoy - R.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything Supernatural (kinda wish I did though). This story is for fun, not profit.

**...To Light **

**Chapter 2**

The following couple of years were a blink in the timeline of the angel; but Castiel was cherishing this fleeting time with Dean. The boy would totter of to him, past his parents out-stretched arms and squeal with delight with his little fists clutching at the air. Dean would stare wide eyed at him standing by the wall as if sensing what the angel was thinking. Then there were the times when Dean would scream horrendously until Castiel would make the room warmer. All this to the delight of the angel; although Castiel did notice when Mary started adding more salt to Dean's baby food as a precautionary measure.

Yet he knew this would not last long. The day came when Dean said his first word; "Da" and then burst into tears. There was no one around to hear him in his cot, but Castiel knew what had happened. The child bawled and held his arms outstretched and when his mother came to comfort him, he continued to cry and grasp towards the ceiling. Castiel was unsure why, as his Father's way were mysterious, but he knew that when a child began the process of talking, their attuned sense to their guardian's grace would disappear. It was as if the child could now learn to communicate with others around him and therefore no longer need the ethereal connection.

Though the child did not know it at the time, this severed link would only allow for more interaction. Now that Dean was becoming self aware not only of himself but others around him. This was especially a unique time for Castiel because he knew that this awareness would also begin the child's dreaming. A dream where he could take the time to introduce himself to the child and teach him the ways of the Lord. He just need to be near and wait.

Then one night it happened. A simple and innocent dream, then what could one expect of a child? Castiel slipped into the dream world and was surprised to find himself still hovering near the cradle in the nursery. Dean was grasping at the mobile above his head as it slowly turned around and played a tinkling lullaby. Castiel took his chance and gathered himself into the mobile, making it turn faster and in turn making the dream babe giggle.

This would be the first of many times of their slow and gentle conversations.

One night, when the now boy of three was dreaming, Castiel decided that tonight they would talk to each other for the first time. He materialised into the dream, where Dean was rolling around in the Winchester's driveway on his little red tricycle.

"Brrrm... Brrrmm... Honk!"

"Hello, Dean."

The little brown head looked up at the bright light in front of him: "'lo".

"Do you know who I am?" asked the angel. The little boy sat there with his mouth open, his big green eyes just staring at the yellow ball of light. "My name is Castiel. I am your guardian angel."

"Cas..." The boy tried to mumble the words. "Casss..."

"Castiel. I am an angel of the Lord and I am here to help you."

With that the boy glared at the light and began dragging his bike away. "No! No! Do myself! Myself!" He managed to drag the tricycle to the footpath on the street and peddled off. "Brrrmmm... Brrrrr-brrrrmmmmm..."

This would not be the first time the two did not argue in Dean's dreams. The child was independent and stubborn; but the angel was patient and had all the time in the world.

The gentle banter between the boy and his angel came to a sudden end one fateful night. Castiel took his nightly post, by the boy's pillow and watching the door. Loudly he could hear his sibling whispering to each other, like loud gusts of winds, storming and whistling. He could not make out the noise and concentrated, trying to figure out what was the problem. It was no use. He peeped over at the slumbering child and vanished to Heaven to find out what the chaos was all about.

There his brethen were flitting about in a blaze of gold. He tried to find someone from his garrison, when suddenly Uriel blue and arching hovered before him.

"CASTIEL! STAND BY YOUR POST!" Clanged his large bell voice and immediately he took his superior's orders and blinked back to the boy's room.

Then it all happened at once. Mary rush past the partly open door. "Sammy? Sammy!" He could sense the unholy presence.

Her peircing scream, startled the boy awake and he sprang into action with the sound of his dad yelling; "Mary! Mary!"

Castiel swiftly shut the door, containing the boy until he figured out where the demon was lurking. Knowing the door knob was too high for Dean to reach he vanished into the yard trying to find the evil one. Having no luck he was going to conducted a wider search when, Anna appeared.

"I thought my instructions were clear!" she whistled to him, as the rest of his garrison appeared.

"I will return to the boy," he acknowledged, knowing that the situation would now be resolved. Suddenly the front room of the house was set aflame.

Castiel appeared in Dean's room to find the toy box askew near an open door. He rushed to the hallway, the boy jogging past him with his little brother bundled up in him arms. Castiel hovered above the child, keeping the smoke away from the brothers and watching the ceiling starting to burn. He prayed his brothers and sister would get John out of the house for the boys' sake. When they reached the front lawn he touched Dean's head and provided him with some of his grace, to keep the child calm. Dean leaned over his little brother and whispered; "It's okay, Sam."

John leaped out of the house, scooped up both boys and ran across the street as the house burst into flame showering them all with glass and burning splinters. As they all stood and watched the house burn, the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance.

"It's times like these when I can't help but wonder 'why?'" Anna tinkled beside him.

Castiel turned to her and watched her hover near John as he took Sam from Dean's little arms. This was not the first time she had this train of thought. "It is not our place to question our Father. You would be wise to watch what you say around others in our garrison," he replied. "Besides, the babe is now part demon. We need to destroy him."

"Don't." Castiel flinched at Anna's sudden blaze. It was lucky that no human could see her otherwise they all would have been blind. "Don't do it. The boy's just lost their mother. The husband lost his wife!" She dimmed a little as the soft sobbing from John as he leaned over Sam. "They do not need more horror in their short time on this planet."

Castiel watched Dean pat his father's arm, trying to provide whatever comfort he could. "We do not know the demon's plans. This could be far worse than killing a child," he stated flatly. They both knew what part-demons were capable of, their long history with the human race had shown them that much.

Anna floated to him, though still watching the humans grieve. "Ah, little brother. You are the perfect soldier of God," she turned to him. "I envy your ability to blindly obey."

"I do not wish to part the brothers either. But we do not know of what Sam is capable!" Castiel defended.

Anna touched him and her grace set him at ease. "Dean is a very special child. He has our strength for someone so young. Perhaps he can save his brother. Perhaps this is your responsibility, Castiel," she started to vanish. "Perhaps God gave you to Dean to help him save Sam."

Castiel turned back to the family, their faces aglow with the flames of their home, Dean's cheeks trickling with tears.

"Perhaps."


End file.
